Boxster or Boxster S?
 

Im sure this has been asked before, but does the S perform that much better than the base? I drove my first Porsche ever the other day, and it was a 2002 boxster S that had several small issues, but drove fantastic. Ive since found a very good price on a 2002 base model that looks like new and only has 55k miles on it. There arent any base models around here to drive, so im stuck wondering if ill miss the extra 37hp by getting the base model. Also, it hasnt had the ims bearing replaced, and if i buy it, i will have to fly out and drive it 2000+ miles back home. I was advised by the shop nearest to me, that i shouldnt drive it home unless i get the ims bearing replaced. Just looking for some advice, considering im a complete noob to Porsche.

Joe

Though not exactly the same situation as yours, this thread may help: http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/52243-40k-budget-s-not-s.html

You probably should search the Forum on both your questions (S vs non S; IMSB).

I would buy an S but would not be too hasty to buy the first or second you have seen or driven. There are lots out there.

The first Boxster I ever drove was a 2003 base and fell in love with the Boxster immediately. I ended up buying a 2002 S with a Tiptronic so my wife can drive it. Yes I loved it even more than the base because Of the extra power but after a couple years of ownership something was missing and I wasn't satisfied. I needed a manual. I ended up buying a 2008 model with a 6 speed and this car had 303 hp. Ever since I owned this car I've never cared to drive.tbe other two cars again. I only drive them if I had to.
For me the extra power is always something I want and it's better to pay up front to get the S than paying later for the upgrades and the power you get from modifications will not be the same as getting the S up front.

also do a search this topic have been discussed many times. and please don't ask which oil is best later on."Search is your friend".

Cheers

Personally, if you have driven the S you will not want to buy or own a non-S. Its like owning a basic model car of any sort and then renting the same car with the top trim. Spend the extra coin and you will be so much happier in my view. Then again, go with whatever your budget handles and either way you will be happy you own one.

Even just the addition of aluminum door handles makes the car feel more Porsche and less Audi.

However if you're okay with the rough interior of the 2.5 then the engine actually has a very nice classic feel and is easy to go flat out in without incriminating yourself.

Others may be power hungry but the S still gets you to speeds worth jail time in about any state at the top of third gear, which does not take much road or time to get to lol.

The S means something for Porsche
The boxster has been held back but at least the S is a step in the right direction

And not drive 2000 miles without imsb replace???
I've driven 87000 miles

Woody (itsnotanova) did a good pictorial comparison of some of the parts. In the end, they are both great cars. There are a ton of them for sale out there. You may have to travel and drive it home, but that is part of the fun. Just be sure to get a PPI.

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/53067-pictorial-differences-between-base-s-model-boxster.html

Drive them both. Some folks like the non s better. Can't go wrong either way.

No question in my mind. S all the way. "I wish I'd bought the slower Porsche" said no one EVER.

Plus, they sell far faster than base models when you're ready to get rid of it.

This is a topic that has been covered a number of times - use the search function and you will be in information heaven.

Same with the whole 2000 mile IMS issue.

I was shopping for an S, but then found a highly-optioned, low mileage base model that ticked all the right boxes for me. It's fantastic!

Hello, Snipershot and welcome to the forum.

I just went through this process myself over the past couple of months. I ended up with a 2004 S. This "new" car replaces a 1995 Miata that was supercharged and lowered on a track-ready setup. To me, it seemed the base Boxster was only slightly faster than the Miata up to 100 MPH and did not handle as sharply. The S model handles about the same as the Miata (but leans more), is more composed on bad pavement, and is significantly faster to 100. I can't speak to anything over 100 since I don't go there. (My license still has speeding points on it.)

Best of luck with whatever you choose.

Cheers,

Dave

Recently bought an 03 S with 72k mi super maintained but has road rash. Best handling car I ever owned and I have had 85 cars. I still have a Ruf BTR c4, a 73 rs hot rod and an 08 Z06 vette and the Boxster still handles better then all of them.








I just went through this process myself over the past couple of months. I ended up with a 2004 S. This "new" car replaces a 1995 Miata that was supercharged and lowered on a track-ready setup. To me, it seemed the base Boxster was only slightly faster than the Miata up to 100 MPH and did not handle as sharply. The S model handles about the same as the Miata (but leans more), is more composed on bad pavement, and is significantly faster to 100. I can't speak to anything over 100 since I don't go there. (My license still has speeding points on it.)

Best of luck with whatever you choose.

Cheers,

Dave[/QUOTE]

Well, ive found a couple S cars that have me ready to buy. One is a 2000 boxster s with 72k miles thats already had the imsb replaced. I am gonna talk to the guy and try to work out a time to go get it. I may soon be seeing my lifelong dream of owning a Porsche come true!

I've regretted not getting an "S' for going on 7 years now. And I've never even driven an S.

Snipershot - welcome to the forum!

I've had my 01S for four years and prefer it over the base. When I was researching the Boxster back in 2012, several auto mag reviews stated the 5-speed in the base wasn't as good for long distance cruising at 65 or higher. If I were looking to get a newer Boxster that has the 6-speed in the base, I would it. But there's never a rush to get any vehicle. Take your time ad hold out for the car that has what you want; don't settle for a car that is lacking anything you think is important.

As Chuck W. mentioned, try to get a PPI, but I wouldn't worry about getting the IMS replaced for the drive home. I bought mine on e-bay kind of by accident from a private party, so I didn't even have a PPI. But I drove it from Chico, CA to Milwaukee in three days with a grin on my face the whole way and not a worry in my mind.

DBear

If you're looking at a 14 year old car, forget the badges and buy on condition only. If you can find a really good S, then great but don't turn down a well spec'ed and well cared for 2.7 just to get an S that may be a money pit.

I've been really lucky in finding a really great car that has barely cost me anything in 5 years of ownership. For peace of mind I had the IMS bearing replaced which is my only major expenditure.

My friend has a 2002 S and to his frustration, I have always kept up. Don't believe the hype, they are all quick.

Also you must remember the grief you will be caused by not buying an S model.
About a month after getting my 99 Base I started to noticed a change. First I ignored it. My voice got higher but very little at first. Then my penis started to shrivel. Then couldn't get it up at all let alone find it it got so small. It is almost unbearable. But I managed to get through the day. I was about to go see a priest, but that would just bring up bad memories. I've tried painting my brake callipers red and putting an S on the trunk. That didn't change anything, so back to stock. I am woken up some nights by Miata owners driving by laughing and pointing. The horror . . . the horror.
So think twice about purchasing a base model. You just don't need the grief.

G

I think there maybe a Wee bit more going on then just badges for the 'S'

But you make a good point especially since for the majority of driving, one probably would not be able to take advantage of the extra performance the 'S' might have

As many have said before me, drive both. It's the only way to personally figure it out.
Or
Just buy an 'S' and there won't be any regrets, questions or second guessing.
I have never in the 4 years of ownership ever thought "Maybe I should have gotten the Base instead"

The only thing I don't like about the S model is the white gauge faces. I can't stand those but I think they can be changed easily. Having said that, more power is never a bad thing.

But my base model has plenty of power and really likes to rev. I have never regretted not getting the S, or found myself wanting more power.

I own an S, and I love it!! But I agree with this advice. Find the best Boxster you can...I don't think you will be disappointed either way you go.

That's the great thing about choices, I love the white gauges! Get the S, have patience, the right one will find its way to you:cheers:

I doubt anyone has ever regretted buying an S over the 2.7, but there are a lot of happy base model owners out there. Also, make sure you are comparing apples to apples.

For example, a 1999 base model had 200hp, the 2001 S had 250. Then the refreshed 03/04 models got an upgraded VarioCam VVT and the base model was up to 228hp.

Personally, I chose a 2003 base that was in excellent condition over a 2002 S that was a similar price but not nearly as nice. I wanted the newer facelift features, and it had enough low end power for me. (I was coming from an NB Miata, so I didn't need that much more!). Also, I preferred the gearing of the 5 speed in 2nd and 3rd gear -- I don't do a ton of highway cruising, where the 6sp is probably much better. It really depends on how you're going to use the car the majority of the time.

Drive as many Boxsters as you can before making a choice. I went with the base model, but again, I doubt you'll find too many people kicking themselves for buying an S (unless they overextended themselves on payments!).

Test drove different cars back in 2002. S, non, FL…

Decided to want a FL only because of the rear glas window. Later on was not shure if the decision was right, because i like the lines of the PreFL better and it's much easier to modify the hifi system. The MOST bus system is just crap.

Decided to go for an S, because of the more torque in the low end. If you like to rev your engine, the non S rev up to 6.400 rpms whereas the S revs only up to 6.200 or 6.150 rpms. To me there is a clear difference in the engine character. If you like to buy an automatic maybe the difference is not as big as if you want a manual transmission. If you go for an automatic i would prefer an S, because of the more torque.

Also there are definitely differences in maintenance costs. S brakes and some other parts are more expensive.

In the end i would go for the car in best condition. If it's exactly what i would look for this would be a plus. But you should never forget that these cars are minimum 12 years old now. So i think the overall condition is important.

Regards, Markus

It's not the HP, it's the extra torque that makes such a big difference between the two.
S has noticably more oomph... better brakes, etc.

I drove a base first and then the S and the choice was clear immediately to me, but to each their own.

The price difference these days for a 986 is no more than $2000 between a base and an S.

So for the money, the more rare and in demand car is the S. Excellent resale value.

If you look at the forum threads you will see a lot of folks looking for ways to increase the power/torque.
They will spend a lot more than $2000 for even a modest improvement, so you will save money by starting out with more hp/torque from the start if you buy an S.

In the end its your own preferences that govern and if you are OK with a base, its still going to be more fun than any other car for that price.

Also keep in mind that average operating/maintenance costs are about $2k per year. Some years it will just be tires and brakes, other years water pump, Belts, AOS. You can cut that bill in half if you DIY though as the 986 is surprisingly easy to work on for most things.

I drove both. Both were around the same mileage and same price. Going for the S would have been zero extra financial difficulty.

The base car has a sweeter engine (to me) even if it is not nearly as fast. It was also a far better color combo (Silver on red) of which I could not find another, period. I also really like the more-90s Porsche feel of the 97-99 cars...something about the original-style plain black gear knob, and the four spoke steering wheel. Just feels more special to me than the kind of generic alumi-look shifter on the later cars. My base felt simply more special than the S. And that's what mattered most to me.

Power is easy by comparison. And a 3.4-swapped base would handily outrun a 3.2 S anyways.....

My daily driver is a 100hp Mazda2 and my project car is a 165hp RX-7, so the Porsche feels like a supercar even with 200hp. If I wanted power I would have got a new 5 liter Mustang.

Thanks for all the info and advice, i really appreciate it. I was very close to settling on a car that wasnt 100% what i wanted, but was a good deal, and had most of what i was looking for. I wanted black/black or silver/black and this car had the tan interior. Regardless, i could have lived with that. The guy emailed me a price, and i called him to accept it, and then he informs me that another buyer offered him more, after he made me the offer. No biggie. I continued to scour the web, and find a silver/black 2001 S, with less than 50k miles on it about a half hour from my house! Obviously, im torn, because the tan interiored car was a lot cheaper, even though i would have to fly out and drive it 13 hours back home. So as a courtesy, i inform the first guy that im weighing my options and would like to think about it. He gets mad, writes a ****************ty email, and tells me he doesnt wanna sell me the car now. Lol. It was like a sign from above. Im goin to look at the silver/black car tomorrow! And did i mention its less than $14k with a new imsb? ;)

Like I said before, have patience and you will find the right one. Maybe you have! Good luck tomorrow :cheers:

Well, after much searching and being picky as hell, i picked up a 2001 boxster S with 46k miles on it. Its super clean, and has been very well taken care of. It rides and drives like new. Im in shock, i cant believe i own a Porsche. Its been a dream of mine since i was a kid playing with hotwheel cars. I know i must sound dumb or cheesy, but i dont care. And im sure i look goofy in the car, being 6 feet tall and 295 pounds, but it fits me like a damn glove. Lol.http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1463720716.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1463720795.jpg

Nice ride!! When you walk out of your house and see it this morning you still wont believe you own a Porsche. I still have that feeling 5 years after I bought mine. You will find yourself going outside just to stare at it. Enjoy :cheers:

That is a great looking car. I've always had a weak spot for the Sport Design rims and they look great on your car.

Congratulations! I'm sure you will enjoy it immensly. Now, specs, please? ;)

I see you already have a permagrin!

Congratulations, you are going to love that car!

Congrats on finding a great looking Boxster :cheers:

I still feel like this^^^^, still love to peek in the garage and see it sitting there, and then getting to drive it! Have lots of fun and drive it like you stole it. And no, it's not dumb or cheesy, that's why we are all here:D

I picked up my second boxster a couple of weeks ago and have found myself just opening the garage door to look at it daily... Congrats to you!

Congrats. Beautiful car. Job well done.

Hello Snipershot,

congrats and welcome to the Porsche enthusiasts. Ever wondered why some people always smile? ;) Now, if you had a bad day you know what you can think of to instantly go back to smiie again. ;)

Regards from Germany,
Markus

S or No
 

Ultimately it boils down to what you like. In my search I drove about 7 cars both S and Base and honestly, if you're thinking you are going to see an earth shattering difference between the two you will be disappointed. If you have a desire to track or AX the S makes some sense. But for all around fun and the ability to drive it "harder" and stay on it "longer" the Base can't be beat. Honestly, how many times are you going to drive above 100 on your daily or weekend trips? And if you are I want to know where you drive!

What specs would you like? Lol. Everything is stock. No aftermarket parts at all. It has 46k miles on it, and its a blast to drive. The only issue at all with it is the leather on the dash is wrinkled and coming loose. Ill be taking it to an upholstery place very soon. My boss txted me and told me it was time to quit driving, and come to work. Lol.
Joe